DHAKA: A fire station will be set up in each upazila and the home ministry has sent a proposal to this effect to the planning ministry for firming up the plan.

The proposal will be placed before the meeting of the ECNEC and establishment of the fire-fighting stations will soon be started with ECNEC approval, official sources said.

At present there are only 71 fire stations at upazila level out of 481 upazilas across the country.  Now 254 more power stations are being set up under four projects.

Director of Fire Service and Civil Defense (Finance and Administration) M. Abdus Salam told banglanews24.com.bd that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced a plan for setting up fire station in each upazila. And the initiative has been taken to set up the fire stations in line with her commitment.

A proposal to this effect has been sent to the Planning Commission, he added.

Deputy Chief of Home Ministry (Planning) Mohammad Anwar Hossain told banglanews24.com.bd that 156 upazilas of the country have no power stations.  Construction of 254 fire stations under four projects is now in progress.

“We have sent a proposal to the Planning Commission for setting up power station in the rest of the upazilas. We are hoping the proposal will be approved in two or three months.”    

He said the cost of construction of the fire stations has been estimated at Tk 901 crore as every station will cost Tk 5 crore.

Anwar Hossain said of the 156 stations to be constructed, three will be of grade A, 143 grade B and ten will be river fire station. The A-grade stations will have 36-man manpower, B-grade 27 and the C-grade station 16 manpower.  

BDST/ 1134, AUG 5, 2010